U-Zine

U-zine.org, webzine musical metal actif entre 2004 et 2015. Fermé en 2015 suite à sa fusion avec 2Guys1TV, ses articles (chroniques, live-report, interview, dossiers, ...) sont désormais disponibles directement sur Horns Up via ce compte !

We had the oppotunity to meet Tsjuder after their set in Hellfest, so we had the chance to take all the time we need to ask them what we wants to. (La VF est par ici)
 

U-Zine : You've always claimed to play « True Norwegian Black Metal », as you announce at the beginning of the show, and you share this kind of idea (and the same logo) with Taake, and Carpathian Forest what does it deeply mean for you to be a part of this kind of “brand” ?

Nag : The thing with « True Norwegian Black Metal » is two different stories: you have Darkthrone, which started the Norwegian black metal and then you have the emblems we used as Carpathian Forest and a handsome of bands like Urgehal, and small bands. It is more like a statement that we are playing black metal, we are not doing experiments, we are not using keyboards, we are not using clean vocals or other shit. It’s a group of bands from Norway who knows each other, who plays together, we are friends so it’s kind a symbol of that all.

You have just left a 6-year-break, so what is the primary reason for your return and how did it happen ?

We have been playing in Tsjuder for 18 years, and by the time we started, it was the final goal of our lives : we were working on it everyday, it was the only thing we were concerned about : it was Tsjuder. So when we turned out to take a break, we told each other someday we will get back together, making a new album and play “same old”. So the reason for getting back together is as simple as we knew it would happen, it was just a matter of time. I think we have been playing now again for about two years without telling anyone.
 

What are you feeling about being on stage again ?

Haha, I feel old ! It’s not the best concert we have done, I mean after 6 years you have to, hum … we played better concerts, but it was alright. I think personal it’s too big : the stage was too big, the crowd was too big. I like more intimate places, with like 200 people.

For your dvd “Norwegian Apocalypse” which part did you prefer : the one on the big stage or in the small club ?

I think even in "Norwegian Apocalypse" it was too big as well. I like small clubs, with 200 people, that’s much better because there are no guards, no fence in front of the stage … that’s my preference. Here at Hellfest I think the stage was too big but, hey, whatever : the show was all right, it looks like they were tons of people there …

So you are quite not satisfied with it ?

I’m satisfied: for a first concert in a big venue like this, we were always satisfied.

But you will play at the Wacken, a far more bigger fest like this …

It is ? I don’t know : it is the first time I’ve been to a festival. I’ve never been to a festival before.

Ho, Wacken is approximately 3 or 4 bigger than here…

… it’s a little bit strange we are doing all this fests : Hellfest, Wacken and also Brutal Assault. It’s a series of … what we tried and wanted to do is a couple of small shows : we wanted to do the first show in Oslo to bring some friends playing with us, it didn’t happened and we got all through to play Hellfest, since Season of mist is from France and they really want Tsjuder to play here. Unfortunately I don’t think it’s all supposed to be here, but it’s still, what can I said, my first time in a festival : I’v never been in a audience or whatever.

Right after the announcement of the reunion, I saw a lot of comments on the internet saying “they are doing it for money”, “another bad reunion” …

I could tell you right away how much money we are getting!!!

What do you want to say to these people ?

It’s always the same thing: you know, when we signed with Season of Mist, we were first on Drakkar, it was the same thing … tons of comments , we were “sell out”, whatever, we don’t care, the album came -“Desert Northern Hell”- and then everyone shut up !!! It’s probably the same thing again, and I don’t give a shit.

what about your next album “Legion Helevete” – due in October, on Season of Mist again? Don’t you think about changing label or are you completely satisfied with their work?

We haven’t thought about it, because we are obligated to be with Season of Mist because we have a contract, even if we receive offers from other labels which wanted to buy out the contract, but for me I think Season of Mist is very good, they are doing a great job, it’s very easy to communicate with them : personally I think Season of Mist is very good.

Tsjuder have always been on a French label …

I don’t care if it came from France or Holland or whatever as long as they are doing a good job, I don’t care.

Will you do something special for your next album, like the collector of the new Morbid Angel for exemple?

Haha, … unfortunately we are not Morbid Angel so they don’t want to spend that much money on us, but yes ! we will doing something, I don’t know, because it’s in metal, if it will be limitated at all : on the digipack it’s gonna be a symbol in metal, as the “Panzer Division Marduk” digipack. It won’t be Tsjuder’s logo but a devil.

What about the music. Can we expect pure Tsjuder or something different ?

Pure Tsjuder, “no Keyboards, no female voices”, I mean the music of Tsjuder was always made by me and Draugluin, and we have the same state of mind concerning what the music rules is, and it’s almost the same kind of music we think alike.

But for example in “Desert Northern Hell” you have introduced some more catchy parts, it’s not only “straight forward” than your firsts productions …

Maybe, some, but listening the only thing you can say is “it’s Tsjuder” : It’s still Tsjuder, it’s the same kind of music, but yes we have, as we have always done, a mix between Punk/Thrash metal/Death metal and Black Metal. So we have parts from all genres mixed together but even though it’s punk or death metal or whatever it’s still Black Metal because it’s the way we are interested ... I mean , we’ve been listening to the same kind of music for too long, and it’s impossible to, ho, we are not even trying anyway, to play something else … we are staying in the same pulse.

You have been a part of the Black Metal scene for many years now, what do you think about it’s evolutions: the good or the bad ones?

I don’t really care because I have what I would referred to as “friends” within the so called “scene”, those of the bands or people I care about , and I really don’t care what’s happened beside this staff…

Recently we saw a band like Watain winning a prize at the equivalent of the Grammy Awards in Sweden…

Watain ? hahaha, I didn’t know !

In Norway you have the same kind of of price … the "Spellemannprisen” … for metal : what do you think about that, and what do you make if ever tomorrow Tsjuder win a prize ?

We will never win a prize here anyway so I don’t care : I think it’s good they have a metal section, they should, but I think it’s Enslaved every years, Enslaved is always there, and Keep of Kalessin. They play different kind of music than we do anyway so we will never be represented there.

Can we expect a tour in the near future ?

I don’t know … to be honest we are getting older, and we all have families, kids and all that stuff so it’s not the same as it used to be. But yes, we will probably doing some touring, not long tour. We will probably be a little restrictive about what kind of tours we do.

During the break with Tsjuder, you play with Krypt : what memories do you remember about this ? do the fact that you playing Krypt influences the return or something like that ?

Unfortunately the drummer from Krypt, he played in Tsjuder a long time ago -Desecrator- he was supposed to be here today, but unfortunately he didn’t make it. He's always been a good friend of all of us. Krypt was a cold project : I’m not sure what’s gone to happen to Krypt, we’re still alive, even though we haven’t at end. I told Desecrator when we started Krypt that Tsjuder may get struck together and that Tsjuder is my main project, always been my main project and will always be ! Krypt actually has a lot of material ready but I’m not sure what we’ll do with it … if Desecrator is asking me about making a EP or whatever, I guess we will make something news but unfortunately I haven’t enough time to do it so. And also the guitarist, Trondr who also played in Tsjuder, and live with Krypt, is also kind a part of Krypt and he also wants to make a new album, so … We will see, it’s not dead : maybe If I tell him i want to continue, he will probably continue with the band himself.

AntiChristian used to have some problems with his arms, did he totally recover or not ?

Yeah he’s totally recovered. They actually told him that he could never play drums again, so that’s why he had to take a break. He then couldn’t even lift a beer : he was really bad … after the recording of the first album we were making some shows, and then his arms started to feel like shit and he couldn’t lift a beer, so he was really bad. He was fucked : he couldn’t work or anything.

He nowadays plays in other bands, aren’t you afraid to lose such a talented drummer … again ?

No, we have played with Christian for 12 years or something, I think he likes playing in Tsjuder and he is probably the most energic guy from the band. He was probably the one getting Tsjuder back together. He was calling me every single day about that …

I mean in a physical point of view.

Ho, that’s a long time ago. He totally recovered and I think it’s a good thing he plays in lot of different bands. He had a goal one time to be the World’s Best Drummer so I think he plays/rehearses with bands 6 days a week and on the seventh day, he rehearses by himself. Very good drummer.

Today you are wearing an inscription on your body “FAEN”, what does it mean ?

It means different things: it’s like “Fuck Off”, but actually it comes from a word in old Norwegian, it’s rarely used, it’s from Old Days and wich means “The Devil”. There's a guy who calls himself Faen and I kind of envy him, that’s a fucking good name.

Okay : where does your stage name come from ? From the same source as Tsjuder ?

Nag ? the thing is there is a film called “The Pathfinder” and the Tsjuders are there but Nag didin’t came directly from the movie : the movie gave us the influence and the idea to make some research about the name so. Tsjuder was the people living in the North of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. They were very brutal people : just killing, raping, stealing and didn’t have any regrets for anything so we thought that name suited us. We used to have another name “Ike” I think a band nowadays is called “Ike” now actually.
 

Are you interested in the re-release of your first demo ?

I think we have been asked about that for 10 years or more. We are not interested. Maybe someday, as some bonus for an album or a compilation of old stuff. I still have a tape with 5 or 6 songs that haven’t been released, so, maybe.

Urgehal released as similar thing recently…

Really ? It’s not important for us : I think the first demo wasn’t Tsjuder : it was the start of something, but the second demo that was kind of the beginning of Tsjuder. Because on the first demo it was Berserk, the original member of Tsjuder, with me, who made a lot of the music, and on the second “Possesed”, it’s was me and Draugluin : that starts what we are doing now.

Aren’t you even interested to play again some old title from the demo with the nowadays line-up ?

I think, to be honest, it’s better that the guys who actually owns the demo tapes on “cassette” they keep that for themselves...
(AntiChritian joins)- and they can earn money on ebay later.
It’s like today : we played “Devil’s journey” from the second demo tape “Possessed”, and I saw the audience : most of people didn’t react, but I saw a few guys like “huuuum”, and I knew then “ok, those guys have been around for a long time”. So I don’t really care about the new generation or whatever, it’s not important for me that they absolutely get our music, well, they CAN have our music but they have to be interested to get it.

Tonight you play “Sacrifice” from Bathory : what does this band represent for you ?

Bathory is a main influence because it’s a band we’ve been listening listening to for a long time, and it’s probably one of the bands that made us playing Black Metal.
-later on, we have seen a review of the last album, people didn’t know if it comes from Motörhead or Bathory. That’s kind a fucked-up thing …

Are you here only today ? Do you have time to listen to some bands or are you willing to attend some show or not at all ?

-Yeah, we have to leave tomorrow, so we get here driking, have some fun. I want to see Ozzy and Opeth.
I actually wanted to see Cavalera Conspiracy, I didn’t because I was too tired after the show … and have some beer and some rest so on … hehe.
- I saw them last in Norway in rock festival and it was crap : because they didn’t have the sane attitude that they should have. They have fence all over, and they play old songs but with no taste, they don’t give a fuck : shit for the money, it was sad actually.
Anyways for me it’s Sepultura : I listen to it since I grow up, since the "Morbid Visions" release. And the new Sepultura is not that good, it’s shit – it’s crap (Then they starts to argue in Norwegian, sorry ...).
So I was listening to Cavalera Conspiracy while showering, but I couldn’t see them. I would like to see Judas Priest.
-In Flames.

You are listening to some Old Sepultura but are you listening to “new” bands, or not at all ? That impress you technically or something like that ?

- I like Gojira, good music, good musicians, even if I don’t realy care about their message because it’s freaked out and hyppish. But music is good.
I’m probably conservative, getting older, maybe boring whatever but I haven’t listening that much “new” music, I’m really bad at checking some new stuff.
- As he said we are old.

Even DeathSpell Omega? If you have the time to listen to it, do it.

And did you heard the new Morbid Angel album?

(... AntiChristian laugh and Nag faint to not understand the question).

-It’s a shame, somebody has gone crazy in the process : they are all good musicians, they have David Vincent, the new drummer is ok too but as said in a lot of Norwegian review, it’s down 20 years ago it’s been innovative and new … now it’s not exotic. 20 years ago it could be good but now it’s just a copy of something, so …
I think I need more listening too, hum, if I ever going to play a Morbid Angel song it’s going to be something from "Altars of Madness" or "Blessed are the Sick"
- "Covenant"
"Altars of Madness" or "Blessed are the Sick"!!!
- I like Morbid Angel ‘cos they have an original guitar player.

The new Drummer, do you find him impressive?

-the young guy from LA ? he is doing a good job.
 

(So Nag left a couple a minutes)
(To AntiChristian) : I asked Nag a few minutes before how is your arms?.

- Yeah, I got injury, I had to stop to play because I was playing the wrong way, and I had injuries in my arms and my back. It was a problem because I am an electrician, and I had to stand up and work with my arms and back all day. But then I find a new way to do my blast beats, I had to warm up and stretch and take some rests in order to cease my tendinitis.

You won’t warm up before ?

- No, I didn’t do it before, I was bad at it.

Like Demonaz !?!

Yes, he can’t do that shit, he’s a good friend of mine. I worked with Immortal : I was with them for the last tour, I do the pyros, I’m Immortal’s pyrotechnic.

SO it is you fault when it didn't work in 2007 ?

-No, that wasn’t me … I am serious, it was another guy: it was the vocalist from from 1349 : Ravn, he did that, we shared the pyro job –i did last summer and this summer, and HE did that, haha !

You put out a dvd called “Norwegian Apocalypse”, are you satisfied with it ? What kind of show did you prefer ?

I think the dvd is ok, and I prefer small venues /club : the audience is much closer, you get much better energy, you get the guys from the front row and the back moving like one body, that’s pure energy. It’s not like today : it was cool but you can see the lights outside, people lying on the grass. I like to play in big stages anyway, it doesn’t mater to me : I play in a lot of other bands, touring around for fucking years.

The fact that you play in so much other bands doesn’t fear you ?

- Ho, nonono : I was the guy that pushed on to get Tsjuder back.

I mean for your arms, aren’t you worried?

- Not at all : it feel ok because it’s a kind of ritual, I had to warm up, to stretch. The cool think about my new playing style is that I play much harder than I used to : it’s not the usual thing, I have to use my arms more than my fingers, It implies using more muscles. So I have bigger muscle that are able to carry much more weight, are more endurant doing it … so that’s why I love to show off. It’s a good exercise for myself, it’s simple : I don’t like “whispering the drum” like a lot of drummers do, I’m a Rock’n Roll drummer playing Black Metal.

Okay, so does wearing corpse paint is important for all of you ?

- Yeah, we started the corpsepaint : it’s kind of the image, the statement of the band, and if you start something you can’t quit doing this. It’s like Immortal : they are in corpsepaint all the way, in video too.
(Nag Joined us) It’s more than that, when I am playing on stage of for an album or whatever, mainly on stage, you are getting turned into a kind of character. It increases the moment’s feeling. It helps me to be Nag, the character.
We always done it, I think it’s part of the black metal, and even death metal from the 80’s. It’s not the same thing with white and black, I think they used black like Celtic Frost, and in the beginning of Sepultura. So, for me, I would never ever play in a band without it. I would probably never ever play in a band which isn’t Black Metal so …

Ho, something I didn’t mention: on the new album, all the lyrics were written between 93 & 95. It was kind of a coincidence: when we started Tsjuder we had a folder with all the song written on and the lyrics. And I think it was in 96, the folder disappeared … and in 2008, I was cleaning my basement and the folder showed out : WTF, we have 15 lyrics and songs, we are looking at the papers “remember, we are playing this song !!!” We could’nt remember the whole song but we could remember some parts of it, it was some songs we never ever recorded, so we decided to be lazy, not writing lyrics and re-use the old ones.
 

To Nag & AntiChristian for their time, Rose for the opportunity, and to John & The Undertaker for their